Imagine my consternation when once again Alexandria’s libraries are on the hit list, while at the same time, the Capital Bikeshare program expands to the tune of $600,000 — on top of $360,000 already spent.

But wait just a minute: This is not an anti-bike proclamation. I love bikes, and probably everyone reading this loves bikes. I get it. Bikes are green, and biking is good exercise. Just think, though, with $600,000 you could buy everyone in Alexandria a bike.

So let’s talk about what this issue is — it’s fairness in spending. One of the major responsibilities of local government, after health and safety, is public education.

Alexandria’s education record is not a proud one. And what does the city do? It proposes cutting the budget for the critical public service that introduces children to books and the fun of reading and learning. The very libraries that provide research materials for avid students and that give a reading home to seniors who need to be out and about to stay healthy and mentally alert. Libraries are an essential resource for the low- and middle-income families who lack the money for high-speed Internet or books on Kindle or Amazon.

And yet every year Alexandria looks to the libraries for budget cuts. It’s just not right to give scarce money to programs that benefit a few. While our public libraries work, as they are intended, for everyone from 3 to 90, the Bikeshare program, according to a Virginia Tech study, serves a very small, special group. Its demographics are eye opening: white, young (with a mean age of 34.64) and 43 percent holding advanced degrees. These people can afford bikes and are welcome to use our trolleys, the Metro, DASH and the water taxi to move around our very walkable city.

Additionally, while Alexandria’s libraries are city-owned and operated, Bikeshare is a private, for-profit organization selling its program worldwide. Two large bicycle-friendly cities welcomed Bikeshare but without taxpayers’ dollars: Portland, Ore., and New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg dictated that no federal or city taxes would fund its program there.

Due diligence shows there are other bike-sharing programs that do not require expensive kiosks; viaCycle is one and operates on George Mason’s campus. So if Bikeshare wants to expand in Alexandria, let the parent company, Alta Bicycle Share Inc., use some of its profits and reinvest, which is what corporations are expected to do. That way, the city gets an expanded bike program but lets taxpayers off the hook.

Alexandria’s goal should be to extend rather than reduce the hours or books at its libraries. An analysis shows that two neighborhood libraries, Duncan and Burke, together service almost 60,000 more patrons per year than the main library. And this is despite Beatley boasting three times the number of employees as well as longer hours. These libraries should have their library hours increased, not cut.

In contrast, Arlington appreciates the needs of working families by keeping libraries open to accommodate working hours. In fact, two are open Sundays until 9 p.m. Since Beatley is not pedestrian friendly — and near only a few homes — perhaps it could be closed Sundays so that Burke, Duncan and Barrett can stay open instead.

Go visit a number of area libraries as I do frequently; it’s so heartwarming to see mothers, fathers and their children there. With arms full of books, those children will discover the wonders of storytelling. This is the beginning of a lifetime of reading for them. Walk around and see all the folks doing research or reading with their laptops. See the number of people at computers searching for jobs on the Internet.

I was told that Barrett serves large numbers of new residents and other adults searching for employment, yet librarians and patrons struggle constantly with IT problems that have been budgeted to be fixed — but have yet to happen.

Alexandria’s libraries are special places, and they should not have to struggle and beg for money every year. They should be fully funded along with fire, police and the school district.

Alexandria’s libraries serve many; Bikeshare is for a few. Seems like an easy solution to me: Cut Bikeshare and give the city some budget relief. Just ask Bikeshare to pay its way or find another vendor that will. The city already is giving it valuable public sidewalk space for free as well as on-street parking spaces. That’s enough.

Finally, the city should make sure taxpayers know that education and libraries do matter by restoring funding to prerecession hours and opening at least two neighborhood libraries on Sundays. After all, education is a great leveler. All Alexandrians — rich, poor or middle class — deserve the very best you can give them in this regard.

- Linda CoutureAlexandria

Related Articles

Share

About Author

(6) Readers Comments

Marc Allison

March 28, 2013 at 4:24 pm

That is because people use Bikeshare, nobody uses the library anymore
the few times i have been there ( the Old town library) it looked like a homeless shelter.
I saw more people sleeping in there than I do on a weekend night on the streets of Washington DC
To be honest i didn’t feel so safe in there.

When something is successful and used it is funded
When it has become an old relic and no longer used it gets no funding.

Just like our beloved bookstores libraries no longer work or fit into our lifestyles

Paul

Wow. This article may not be anti-bike, but it sure is anti-bike funding.

The proposed increase in funding for bike share is $600,000. The proposed budget for libraries is $6,700,000 – ten times as much.

If you want to raid transportation funding to pay for libraries, look to the road resurfacing budget. The cost to resurface a single lane mile is $220,000 (see the Transportation and Environmental Services budget). If we delay repaving just 3 lane miles of roadway, we recover the cost of bike share and more!

P.S. No, $600,000 cannot be used to buy every Alexandrian a bike – there are 144,000 of us. If you have access to $4 bicycles, please let me.

Derick

March 29, 2013 at 7:40 am

Alexandria is an expensive city with congestion issues. To live there you need to make over 100k a year. Not only do those kids have access to books but they probably have their own kindles with direct access to dad’s card. They’re good.

Kate

•”Alexandria’s libraries are on the hit list, while at the same time, the Capital Bikeshare program expands to the tune of $600,000 — on top of $360,000 already spent.” But spending that money on libraries was not an option as “The pilot program, beginning in Old Town, will be implemented with Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality/Regional Surface Transportation Program (CMAQ/RSTP) grant funds.” I’m not sure where the new round of spending comes from, but I suspect Federal Transportation funding as well.

• “Just think, though, with $600,000 you could buy everyone in Alexandria a bike.” With 147,000 residents, I’m not sure where you can find $4 bikes. Ironically, with CaBi, you really can buy everyone a bike – if they’re willing to share.

•”Additionally, while Alexandria’s libraries are city-owned and operated, Bikeshare is a private, for-profit organization selling its program worldwide.” CaBi is owned by the cities that participate in it. It is a non-profit, government run organization.

•”Two large bicycle-friendly cities welcomed Bikeshare but without taxpayers’ dollars:” No but they did give up taxpayer owned land and advertising rights. It ain’t free.

•”So if Bikeshare wants to expand in Alexandria, let the parent company, Alta Bicycle Share Inc., use some of its profits and reinvest, which is what corporations are expected to do.” Again, Alta doesn’t own CaBi.

•”Alexandria’s libraries serve many; Bikeshare is for a few.” Actually, the models are almost identical, except that bikeshare charges a nominal fee. But since CaBi is used by tourists and libraries usually aren’t. I’m not sure which is for few and which is for many. Still, it’s not a fair criticism.

Matt

Jim

April 1, 2013 at 1:53 pm

Who benefits from CaBi? More than just CaBi users: all Alexandria residents benefit. Every car-mile eliminated reduces congestion, wear and tear on our roads, and pollution in our environment. Every dollar spent by a rider who stays local to eat and shop benefits all of us through the tax receipts that fund City services (56% of riders surveyed had used CaBi to visit a restaurant or other eating location).